# DEFUNCT Fast Food Restaurants from the past - Life in America



## GURPS




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## spr1975wshs

I worked the summers of 77 and 78 for Burger Chef when a new location was built in my home town.


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## Kyle

That "Gino SirLoiner" was orginally the "Tops Sir Loiner" before Tops got bought out.


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## Kyle

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/66/d3/85/66d38530246d5167b835d71c40c6e74c.jpg
		




			https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0219/04/1960s-tops-drive-ashtray-sir-loiner_1_9fce90ced4f1108f2ef466332b34c055.jpg


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## spr1975wshs

A childhood favorite that is defunct in the Northeast, but survives elsewhere.


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## Kyle

spr1975wshs said:


> A childhood favorite that is defunct in the Northeast, but survives elsewhere.
> View attachment 166824


The one in Waldorf was my 2am retreat from the bar.   

You could still smoke in there when I was frequenting it.


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## Clem72

I could have sworn Arctic Circle went out of business 20-30 years ago, but I looked them up and apparently they still have 71 stores. It's just that most of them are in Utah, and I have never more than driven through that state.


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## SamSpade

When Cheeseburger in Paradise left Wildewood, I just figured it wasn't doing well in that location. 

Nope - they're gone. Whole chain is out of business.


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## stgislander

Burger Chef was the first regional/national burger chain in my part of Western MD.  Then came Micky D's.


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## RoseRed




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## Sneakers

spr1975wshs said:


> A childhood favorite that is defunct in the Northeast, but survives elsewhere.
> View attachment 166824


There was one on Long Island last time I was up there.  Not sure if it's still there....

Howard Johnson was everywhere, almost gone now.


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## Sneakers

stgislander said:


> Burger Chef was the first regional/national burger chain in my part of Western MD.  Then came Micky D's.


By me it was Wetson's.  Burgers were almost identical to McD's.  16 cents.  20 for a cheeseburger.


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## NextJen

RoseRed said:


>



I remember the one on St Barnabas Road. After it closed and became something else, co-workers and I would eat there - we called it ‘The Mean Lady Diner’ because of one of the waitresses nasty attitude.


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## GURPS

stgislander said:


> Burger Chef was the first regional/national burger chain in my part of Western MD. Then came Micky D's.




1973 when the fam moved from Baltimore to Oxon Hill ... there was

Jack in the Box 
Roy Rogers 

further up Oxon Hill Rd towards the beltway was a McDonald's and a Wendy's near Esquire liquors


McDonald's came later to Livingston Sq, 1978 





I think the Jack in the Box was a Burger Chef in 1973 ... that changed later in the 80s


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## GURPS

NextJen said:


> I remember the one on St Barnabas Road.




Yep ... and further up was a Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips


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## stgislander

GURPS said:


> 1973 when the fam moved from Baltimore to Oxon Hill ... there was
> 
> Jack in the Box
> Roy Rogers
> 
> further up Oxon Hill Rd towards the beltway was a McDonald's and a Wendy's near Esquire liquors
> 
> 
> McDonald's came later to Livingston Sq, 1978
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think the Jack in the Box was a Burger Chef in 1973 ... that changed later in the 80s


And here I thought Jack in the Box was a West Coast only thing.


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## GURPS

stgislander said:


> And here I thought Jack in the Box was a West Coast only thing.




The ONLY JitB I ever saw was then one in Oxon Hill .... and then when I was out of town .... far away I might spot another


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## stgislander

GURPS said:


> Yep ... and further up was a Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips


I think that Arthur Treacher's was the last one in the mid-Atlantic.  Used to love going to AT's back home.  First time I ever had malt vinegar.


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## GURPS

stgislander said:


> I think that Arthur Treacher's was the last one in the mid-Atlantic.




must have been, and that location lasted for decades and decades


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## RoseRed

NextJen said:


> I remember the one on St Barnabas Road. After it closed and became something else, co-workers and I would eat there - we called it ‘The Mean Lady Diner’ because of one of the waitresses nasty attitude.


I remember going to one in Mountain View, CA when I was a kid.


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## Grumpy

GURPS said:


> The ONLY JitB I ever saw was then one in Oxon Hill .... and then when I was out of town .... far away I might spot another


There was one in Landover Hills in the mid 70s, not sure how long it lasted.


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## Merlin99

The ones I remember are Sambo’s and Chi Chi's. Sambo’s had unlimited pancakes and the best bacon.


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## Merlin99

stgislander said:


> I think that Arthur Treacher's was the last one in the mid-Atlantic.  Used to love going to AT's back home.  First time I ever had malt vinegar.


I remember they used to give a scoop of the the little crispy  batter drops with the fish.


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## stgislander

Merlin99 said:


> I remember they used to give a scoop of the the little crispy  batter drops with the fish.


Good thing you can still get those at Long John Silvers.


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## Sneakers

stgislander said:


> Good thing you can still get those at Long John Silvers.


:bleck:  Ate there once.  Never again.  Had the trots for 2 days.


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## stgislander

Sneakers said:


> :bleck:  Ate there once.  Never again.  Had the trots for 2 days.


You just have a sensitive constitution... 



according to Gilligan.


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## Sneakers

stgislander said:


> according to Gilligan.


"The Gospel According To Gilligan"

Wasn't there a movie like that?


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## stgislander

Sneakers said:


> "The Gospel According To Gilligan"
> 
> Wasn't there a movie like that?


I think it starred Robin Williams.


He's a legend in his own mind.


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## NextJen

Sneakers said:


> :bleck:  Ate there once.  Never again.  Had the trots for 2 days.


MANY years ago I worked in Penn Mar shopping center at the Scott’s Home and Garden store. There was a worker at the Long John Silvers across the parking lot that would come in occasionally to get replacement light bulbs. All the cashiers would try to close up their registers and go to break so they didn’t have to wait on him because he reeked so badly of old cooking grease. My stomach is turning just remembering it.


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## Merlin99

stgislander said:


> Good thing you can still get those at Long John Silvers.


It’s probably been 25 years since I’ve been to either Long John Silver or Arthur Treachers. The only memory I’ve got of LJS is the little packets of tartar sauce, I loved those on the cheapo fish sticks.


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## GURPS

NextJen said:


> I remember the one on St Barnabas Road. After it closed and became something else, co-workers and I would eat there - we called it ‘The Mean Lady Diner’ because of one of the waitresses nasty attitude.


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## my-thyme

Happy Hamburger.

I'm pretty sure it was just local. Where the new Ford dealer is on 235.


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## black dog

spr1975wshs said:


> A childhood favorite that is defunct in the Northeast, but survives elsewhere.
> View attachment 166824


We have one in Anderson, IN about 10 miles away.


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## Gilligan

stgislander said:


> And here I thought Jack in the Box was a West Coast only thing.


The Jack in the Box in Reisterstown was one of the places that was a regular meet-up location to set up street drags. The McD's in Laurel was another one.  Mid 70s...


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## Sneakers

Gilligan said:


> The Jack in the Box


My fav place to stop for a Breakfast Jack at 3am.


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## limblips

Dog and Suds.  Once had 650+ stores, now just a handful in the midwest.


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## AnthonyJames

NextJen said:


> MANY years ago I worked in Penn Mar shopping center at the Scott’s Home and Garden store. There was a worker at the Long John Silvers across the parking lot that would come in occasionally to get replacement light bulbs. All the cashiers would try to close up their registers and go to break so they didn’t have to wait on him because he reeked so badly of old cooking grease. My stomach is turning just remembering it.


T'aint far to Penn Mar!


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## AnthonyJames

I guess Little Tavern was too local to make the list.


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## PeoplesElbow

When I was little Burger Chef was my favorite.


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